Blinkwater Ravine Project
Community Meeting Sunday May 23, 2010
Apologies
Judy Farah
Hazel McQueen
Peter Hunter
Nicky Goodall
Craig Meltzer
15 Campsbay Residents met on Sunday May 23 for a Community clean-up of the Upper Blinkwater Ravine. Ages ranged from 2 (Max) to 78 years old, and included Laurence (13) and Anna (11) Midgley and a member of the local Scout troop (thanks Connor Thompson (15)).
Everybody got stuck in; clearing rubbish out of the river valley, cutting bush back to open up paths, cutting down Blackwattle, Brazilian peppers, Pittosporum, Palms, and ring-barking Willows along the river bank. Several bags of rubbish, piles of bush, and a half-bath and pipe were left on Hely Hutchinson for removal by City Council. The collective effect of 2 hours of community action was impressive.
Friendships were established (and some re-established after a gap of 20 years), and members of the community enjoyed interacting with each other. A big thank you to everyone who volunteered 2 hrs of their Sundayafternoon in a community action project.
Those who could make it, met for an impromptu meeting over tea and chocolate cake afterwards at 52 Francolin Rd, Campsbay.
Meeting members: Bernard Sch‰fer, Ann Eick, Terry Winstanley, Chris Logan, Coralie, Sandy Van Hoogstraten, Jeremy Midgley, Nicola Illing and several children
We agreed on the following points of action to follow up on the successful day of community action.
1. We agreed that we should organize another Community Day of action in August, where the Little Glen (ie Blinkwater ravine below Campsbay Drive) would be targeted for a clean-up. Nicci will co-ordinate the event in co-ordination with Judy Farah.
2. Sandy Van Hoogstraten and her husband currently employ Victor on a full-time basis to clear alien vegetation from the Blinkwater Ravine. Sandy volunteered to set up a bank account for the “Friends of the Blinkwater Ravine” and to initiate a fund-raising drive to collect donations for the Campsbay Community to employ an assistant to Victor for a 3 month trial period. The goal is for Victor and his assistant to do a daily walk through the upper Blinkwater ravine, and Little Glen, to remove alien vegetation, and to report on the setting up of illegal shacks (to Bernard Sch‰fer). Our aim is to raise R6000 to employ an assistant on a 3 month contract by finding 20 people who will contribute R100 per month, or R300 up-front. We agreed to review the success of the initiative after a 3 month period. Sandy will use the email list provided by Nicci as a starting point to raise funds.
3. Jeremy will meet with Dave Curran on Monday May 24th to discuss the further clearing of alien vegetation from the Blinkwater Ravine by Local Government. Sandy will join them to co-ordinate her plans for Victor and his assistant.
4. We discussed the importance of clearing the paths in the Little Glen.Sandy agreed to get in contact with Judy Farah to co-ordinate the project. Bernard suggested that we contact gardening equipment companies who had volunteered their services to clear paths in the Little Glen. Bernard agreed to send the list of companies to Sandy. Sandy agreed to co-ordinate the project with Judy Farah, and to contact Doug Cherry, and Chris Logan for assistance in demarcating paths in the Little Glen, before contacting the gardening equipment companies.
5. Our longer term goal is to also establish a network of paths in the Upper Blinkwater Ravine.
6. Nicci will distribute the minutes, and will post photographs from the day on the Campsbay Policing Forum and Campsbay Community Website http://www.campsbaycommunity.com/upper-blinkwater-ravine/.
